#tariff-costs

#tariff-costs

"Fresh food and perishables are almost like the canary in the coal mine," when energy prices go up, according to Vidya Mani, an associate professor at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business.

U.S. financial markets experienced a volatile week, largely influenced by geopolitical developments in the Middle East and fluctuations in energy prices. Investor sentiment was driven primarily by external events rather than domestic fundamentals.

Jet fuel tends to be an airline's biggest expense. An analysis by the International Air Transport Association showed that, for the week ending March 27, the weekly average price of jet fuel has skyrocketed 116.8 per cent compared to the previous year's average.

The longer this conflict goes on, the more devastating its impact will be on the world's energy supplies, inflation and economic stability. Every extra week of disruption raises costs for consumers and businesses while growth slows.

The US dollar returned to the upside as geopolitical fears rebounded after US President Trump's address to the nation. The rhetoric fuelled risk aversion and flows toward the dollar while oil prices surged.

After Trump ended the de minimis exemption last year, purchasing an item straight from an international vendor, regardless of the item's value, meant incurring International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariffs. Now, thanks to a ruling by the Supreme Court that overturned Trump's IEEPA tariffs, and a ruling by the Court of International Trade ruled that all tariffs paid under IEEPA must be returned, buyers may be able to collect a refund.

Good morning. The Supreme Court's ruling on President Trump's tariff authority did more than redraw the boundaries of executive power. It also potentially shifted the operating environment for finance chiefs and manufacturers managing sustained trade-policy volatility. In a 6-3 decision on Friday, the justices ruled that Trump overstepped by using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to levy tariffs throughout much of 2025, striking down portions of the duties on steel, aluminum, and some Chinese imports.

The International Monetary Fund has warned mounting geopolitical tensions and an escalation of Donald Trump's tariff war could hit global economic growth and trigger a backlash in financial markets. In an update as Trump threatens to impose tariffs on Nato allies opposed to his ambitions in Greenland, the Washington-based fund said a renewed eruption in trade tensions was among the biggest risks to global growth in 2026.

That's after Trump attempted to use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act for the first time as a vehicle for imposing tariffs, when he unveiled his "Liberation Day" duties last year. The tariffs were quickly challenged in court. While arguing the case last spring, Justice Department lawyers acknowledged that if the tariffs were deemed unlawful, then the government would issue refunds to the plaintiffs.